Let's Play Two

by Teresa Tumminello Brader

Flexing the ball in his hand toward us in our hitters' stance at home plate, Daddy instructs us to “keep your eye on the white potato.” Right before he pitches the ball, ignoring our impatience, he reminds us again to “keep your eye on the ball until it hits the bat.” He doesn’t call the ball a potato then. If we try to be fancy when a fly ball’s hit to us, thus dropping it or not even coming close to catching it, he admonishes us with “two hands while learning.” He uses a different tone of voice to us than when he barks that same command to the major leaguers on TV: we learn then that even the greatest players make mistakes. When we ask why he calls the baseball a potato, Daddy just smiles.